Crime

DECATUR, Ga. -- A DeKalb County jury awarded a girl who suffered permanent injuries in a pit bull attack $72 Million. A judge ruled that, by law, he had to reduce the award to $36,941,278.50.

Judge Mathew Robins explained that the jury awarded Erin $36,691,278.50 in compensatory damages and another $36 million in punitive damages. But Georgia law limits punitive damages to $250,000.00, so he had to reduce the punitive damages to $250,000.00.

DECATUR, Ga. – DeKalb County police have arrested a man accused of murdering his ex-wife on Christmas Eve.

Jake Jackson is charged in the Dec. 24 shooting death of Tiffanie Phillips. Police say the shooting took place at Phillips' home on Terrace Trail.

DeKalb County Sheriff's spokeswoman Cynthia Williams said Jackson was arrested Monday night outside the Walmart at Memorial and Columbia drives. He is being held in the DeKalb County Jail on a felony murder charge.

Over the course of your life, the chances of being the victim of a crime are at least one in three, higher if you live in a large city, and higher still if you’re a woman. The criminal’s objective is to maximize gain and minimize risk, and he’ll usually pick the easiest target with the most to offer. Given these odds, it pays to take precautions by following some basic safety rules:

ATLANTA -- A former secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs has been sentenced for stealing from the agency.

Zerry Feaster pleaded guilty in June to seven counts of theft of government funds and five counts of making false statements.

A federal judge sentenced Feaster, 46, of Ellenwood to one year and one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release. She must also pay $88,264.47 in restitution.

Feaster worked in Police Services at the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur. Between 2010 and early 2012, she used her government-issued credit card to buy prepaid gift cards, which she used to pay for jewelry and accessories. She also used the cards for gambling.

"Rather than supporting the men and women who have served our country honorably, Ms. Feaster stole from the VA to gamble and buy herself luxury goods at Coach and Tiffany," said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- DeKalb County Police believe a woman shot herself in the stomach inside a room at a Flat Shoals Road motel Wednesday morning.

It happened at around 12:30 a.m. at the Gulf American Inns, just north of I-285

The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen; police said the bullet passed all the way through her body. She told police an unknown man shot her, but an officer on the scene said investigators believe the injury was self-inflicted.

The woman also told police she is a few weeks pregnant. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Monday morning, the department announced it has seen reductions in three crime categories. Residential burglaries are down 17 percent, pedestrian robberies are down 10 percent and entering auto cases are down nine percent this summer.

New strategies used to prevent and reduce crime in DeKalb County include 24-hour specialized operations, bike patrols and curfew enforcement.

"The reduction in crime statistics proves that the investments we are making in police and fire personnel pay dividends," DeKalb County interim CEO Lee May said in a release.

May said the police department plans to add 160 more sworn officers and 100 patrol cars by the end of 2014.